Of Thieves and Princes
by Saphhira
Summary: Raven Gale, a young thief has been hunted all her life. Will Treaty was trained to be a Ranger. Halt O'Carrick has a secret he's kept hidden for years. When these three meet, secrets will be uncovered, fates will clash, and the fate of the Araluen will rest in their hands. Can they work together? Or will they fail? Set after The Battle for Skandia.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Thieving Is Wrong.

Raven's POV:

Thieving is wrong. But then, it's how I've survived. I've become an expert. Even the local Ranger can't track me. My name is Raven. I'm a girl of 16. I have jet black hair that ends at my shoulders. I am a descendant of the Exiled. The Exiled are an ancient group of Araleuns, skilled in many forms of weaponry, silent movement and tracking. All these work to my advantage.

I stirred, sunlight streaming through the leafy canopy above me. My ever-present companion, a black wolf named Shadow, licked my face. I sat up, and was greeted by a black shafted arrow whizzing past my ear. I jerked sideways, leaping to my feet. They seemed to have sent someone other than the local Ranger. The first shot was a warning shot. I dodged another arrow, and caught the next one, hoping to discourage this Ranger. However, there was one discouraging him. Abandoning my initial plan, I grabbed my cloak off of the ground, commanded Shadow to go hide in the woods, and took off running, right at the Ranger. I clasped the cloak about my shoulders, hoping to hid my feminine frame. When I could, I disguised myself as a boy. I flipped the cowl up, shrouding my face in shadows. All this took about three seconds. The Ranger discarded his massive longbow for his saxe knife. I ran past him, twisted, and brought my blade to his throat, my cowl falling back, revealing my face.

"You're a girl," he stated more than asked.

"Would you have those be your last words?" I hissed in his ear, then frowned. He shouldn't be smiling. I realized my mistake. I had assumed there was only one Ranger tracking me. An arrow was already sailing through the air, aimed at my upper arm. I withdrew it quickly, but not before it could graze my lower arm. I cried out in pain, dropping my saxe. The Ranger closest to me grabbed my wrist and twisted it behind my back. I groaned softly in pain. Utilizing my injured arm, I brought my elbow up to his ribs, hard. He released me, and I dropped to one knee, gasping for breath. The other Ranger strode toward me. He was much different then the one that just dislocated my shoulder. He had brown hair and brown eyes, which, at the moment were dark and foreboding. His mottled grey-green cloak caused him to shimmer in and out of focus. He stopped in front of me and stared down me. I glared defiantly up at him, desperate for an opening. Suddenly, I surged upward, my good fist connecting with his jaw. I whistled for Shadow, leaping onto his humongous back. I straddled him like a horse and sped away, my shoulder length hair streaming out behind me.

Will's POV:

I can't believe she got away. I caressed my bruised jaw. Halt walked up to me, watching the thief grow smaller.

"That wasn't bad, for a girl," he commented. Will shook his head. "She still got away."

"Then we'll have to go after her."

"I suppose so."

Halt raised an eyebrow. "You suppose so?" I grimaced.

"I mean, yes, we most certainly go after her. Definitely." I added for emphasis. The eyebrow returned to it's original position. I walked several feet in to the forest to retrieve Tug and Abelard. We mounted, then began riding into town, with every intention of tracking the theif.

Authors note: Well, this is my first Ranger's Apprentice Fanfic, so let me know what you think! Please review, it motivates me! Hint hint. ? if you would like to know more about the Exiled, or about Raven, just ask in a review. See ya!


	2. Chapter 2: Prince Seth

Chapter 2: Prince Seth

I nudged Shadow with my knee, and he slowed. I slid off his back, careful to not disturb my injured shoulder.

"Cyrus, I know you're behind me," I called. There was a sigh and and the warrior stepped into my field of view. His right hand rested in the hilt of a massive broadsword as he strode toward me. He frowned.

"You're injured!" He said. I grunted. "Ya think?" He withdrew, as if stung.

"Sorry," I said. "I'm in a mood."

"Obviously," Cyrus retorted. Then he chuckled. "They finally got you?" I walked over to a nearby tree, and began climbing the carefully concealed ladder.

"Yup," I responded, ascending into the virtually invisible treehouse. Two or three young children tussled over a piece of bread. I broke up the fight and satisfied each child with a small chunk of bread.

"Who is that?" I asked gesturing to a shadowy figure leaning against the wall.

"Oh, that's just Prince Seth," Cyrus said from beside me. I whirled around, flicking the cowl of my cloak up.

"Just. That's JUST Prince Seth. You do realize I'm a thief, don't you? I'm a wanted criminal!" I hissed just loud enough for Cyrus to hear. Prince Seth was the younger brother of Princess Madelyn, otherwise known as Ranger Maddie. Ohhhh, I was in so much trouble.

"He'll be leaving soon, don't worry," Cyrus assured me.

"Wonderful! In the meantime, every knight in Araluen is looking for him! He'll lead them here!"

"Hi," a strange voice said. I jumped and spin to face the direction of the voice. Seeing Prince Seth, I curtsied.

"Your Majesty," I said.

"Please, call me Seth. What's your name?" He asked. I said the first name that came to mind.

"I'm Phyllis," I lied. "How long will you be staying?"

"Till tomorrow morning," Seth responded. The hours passed quickly as I distributed stolen bread and clothing amongst the orphan children. I relented to have my shoulder popped back into place, which was a painful experience. Eventually, the sun began to set and they began to tire. I handed out blankets, which the children laid out on the wood floor and curled up on them. Then they proceeded to beg me for a song.

"Which song?" I asked.

"Fireflies!" They said simultaneously. I sighed and began to sing. My eerie, smoky voice filled the room,

"You would not believe your eyes

If ten million fireflies

Lit up the world as I fell asleep.

'Cause they'd fill the open air

And leave teardrops everywhere

You'd think me rude

But I would just stand and stare

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs

From ten thousand lightning bugs

As they tried to teach me how to dance

A foxtrot above my head . . ."

Several hours later . . .

My eyes snapped open. Something wasn't right, I could sense it. I reached out and grabbed my bow and a quiver full of arrows. I rose silently and walked to the door of the tree house.

Authors note: Cliffhanger! Sorry, I'm addicted to those things.

TrustTheCloak: Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I will try to fix it, and any other typos I might find. Thank you for reviewing!

Aubrey Cortez: Thank you for reviewing! I have every intention of continuing this story.

I do not own Rangers Apprentice, or the song, Fireflies.

The next chapter will be in as fast as I can type it. Please review! If you have any questions, please ask in a review.


	3. Chapter 3: Invasion!

Chapter 3: Invasion!

Halt's POV:

As Will and I rode into town, I pondered what just happened. The petty thief we were hunting was more than your ordinary thief. She was an expert fighter. And, yet, she seemed so familiar. I realized we had entered the town and Will was asking were our quarry lived. A woman pointed to the woods we had just come from. I nodded our thanks and turned Abelard back to the north. We rode on in silence for hour upon hour. Finally, dusk fell and I stopped Will. He looked at me questioningly.

"I hear something," I explained to my apprentice. An eerie sound filled the forest. Will cocked his head, listening.

"I think we'll stop here," I informed Will, who gave me a withering look.

"Of course you pick this spot to camp," Will grumbled under his breath.

"I heard you!" I tell him, turning to relieve Abelard of his load. Will did the same. We set up our camp, had supper and laid down to sleep. However, there was no sleeping for me. Eventually, I noticed what was keeping me awake. The smokey voice had stopped singing.

"Halt?" Will asked.

"Yes, Will?" I replied.

"Something's not right," he said sitting up, his right hand falling to the hilt of his saxe knife. I stood up.

"How about we go investigate?" I asked, scooping my bow and quiver from its position leaning against a tree. That seemed to satisfy Will. We turned and walked into the forest, progressively getting more on edge. Suddenly there was a rustle in the trees and a figure dropped to the ground, rolling to absorb the impact.

Raven's POV:

I sprang to my feet from my rolling position. My quiver was strapped to one hip, a long, thin sword at the other. My bow I held in my hand. I turned to assess the two figures behind me. Presuming them to be the two Rangers from this morning, I dismissed their presence as unimportant. I knew exactly what was wrong in the forest. It was a group of foreign invaders called the Reds. They were not a light matter. The Exiled and the Reds were sworn enemies for millenniums. I turned and stepped forward toward the center and was stopped by a rough hand gripping my wrist. I looked over my shoulder to find the older Rangers face inches from mine.

"Who are you?" He asked, his voice gruff. I looked from his dark eyes to the younger Ranger, then to my wrist, wondering if I should answer the question, or tear my wrist free and keep running. Then I noticed the look in the younger Ranger's eyes. It was kindness. So I decided to answer the question, just to see what would happen. I could always escape if need be.

"Raven," I said, keeping my voice neutral. I tugged slightly on my wrist, reminding the Ranger that I was still restrained. He released me and I began walking back to the center of the forest.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" That was the younger one. Not even bothering to stop or turn around I called over my shoulder, "I have places to be." They fell in to step behind me, which I sensed more than heard. We walked in in silence, until was rudely interrupted by a sword arching toward me. I ducked under the swing, flicking my thin sword free of its sheath. It swung again, and this time I parried and flicked my sword into an impossible position, twisted it up, and disarmed whatever was attacking me. I turned back to the Rangers, frowning. We were in huge trouble. A loud tramping sound came in to my hearing range. My eyes widen with horror as I realized what it was. This wasn't a raid the Reds were planning, this was a full fledged invasion. I began running to the tramping sound, the Rangers following. Something wrapped around my waist and pulled me away from the edge of a cliff that I hadn't noticed.

"Thanks," I whispered. The younger Ranger realized his grip on me.

"Anytime. I'm Will, by the way," he said. I nodded, and looked down the edge of the cliff. Thousands upon thousands of Red soldiers marched in a long line extending as far as the eye could see. I retrieved my bow from where it was slung over my shoulder and laid an arrow on the string.

"What are you doing?!" Will asked.

"Lessening their numbers," I replied shortly, searching for a target.

"You're crazy, you're going to get yourself killed!" Will said.

"No. It's actually not a bad idea," the older Ranger said. "If we stay concealed in the woods, they can't shoot back. They will have archers?" This he addressed to me, and I nodded in conformation. Sighting one of the leaders, I grew back the string so that it was touching my chin, aimed and fired. The shot hit home, followed by two others, which I assumed to be the Rangers'. I threaded a throwing knife between my fingers, the ones that pulled the string back, and quickly shot another arrow. I then flicked my wrist and sent the knife flying, not caring what it hit. An arrow soared toward me, which I dodged. While doing so, the cowl of my cloak fell back, revealing my shoulder length, jet black hair. A hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around, my sage green eyes meeting Wills brown ones.

"You're the thief from this morning!" He exclaimed.

Authors note: ATTENTION: The timeline has changed! Now this book takes place during the last few months of Wills apprenticeship. I changed this because I realized Halt was retired during The Royal Ranger, so he wouldn't be going on any missions. Silly me. I'm blaming this mistake on the fact I've only read The Royal Ranger once. Any way, hope I cleared that up.

Aubrey Cortez: I've tried to write a song before, it's not easy (not to mention I can't rhyme). I am, however, musically talented, so I thought, since Ravens personality Is based off of mine, that she should sing at least one time. She will probably sing again. Thanks for the review!

Mac Gustah: Thanks! I thought so too. Another chapter should be out later today, or tomorrow. Thanks for the review!

Also, I will welcome any ideas my readers my have. Please review!


	4. Chapter 4: Caught! Or Not?

Chapter 4

Will POV:

I grabbed Ravens shoulder and spun her around, her sage green eyes boring in to my brown ones.

"You're the thief from yesterday!" I accused. She backed away from my grip, and, strangely, I let her go. I noticed a look of fear pass through her eyes, however brief. Suddenly, a huge shape bounded toward me, knocking me over.

"Shadow! Don't hurt him!" Raven called. Shadow, which I presumed to be a wolf, backed away and stood, growling, in front of Raven. Halt moved toward Raven, but she held up a hand for him to stop.

"Please," she begged. "Please stay back!" Raven backed away, her black cloak concealing her in the shadows of the night.

"That was . . . interesting." Halt commented.

"Interesting, Halt? The was our thief!" I exclaimed.

"So she was. But some things not right about the whole thing. . ." Halts voice trailed off.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well," Halt began. "Picture a thief. Thieves have either lost everything, or never had anything. What do they have to fight for?"

"Well, not much, I suppose," I replied.

"Now picture Raven. She's obviously skilled. But she doesn't have the aura of thief. Why would she help Rangers find an enemy, unless . . ."

"Unless she has something, or someone, to fight for." I finished for Halt.

Raven's POV:

I listened to them talking and smiled to myself. They almost figured it out. Almost. I frowned. Where had I heard the name Halt before? Oh well. It wasn't important. I ghosted forward, not paying attention to my surroundings. Wham! I crashed into a man which I immediately recognized as a Red Solider. I struggled with a dagger, but it was stuck. The warrior brought his sword up and prepared to bring it down on me, but in doing so, sealed his doom. Another sword, held by Prince Seth, as I would find out later, flashed from my right, and, in a whirlwind of blows, cut down the Red Solider. Seth stepped in front of me and held out his hand. I ignored his hand and hauled myself to my feet.

"I had it sorted," I informed him. Seth laughed.

"Sure you did," he said, then his visage hardened. "Tell me, Raven, what brings a thief to converse with Rangers?" I grew cold. Shadow had left by now, so I could expect no help from him.

"You-you know my name?" I asked.

"Raven, I'm not deaf, you know. I heard you talking to Cyrus," Seth replied. "There's really only one thief in Araluen with black hair, green eyes and weapons like you. I put two and two together and got four. Now answer the question." He returned his sword to its sheath, but I noticed his hand strayed to the hilt of his dagger.

"Well, you see," I stumbled over my words. "The Red Soldiers have come from over seas and are planning an invasion!" He deserved to know. He was the Prince, after all.

"What now?" I dared to ask.

"We're going to Castle Araluen," Seth replied.

"I can't go there!" I protested.

"Well, we are. Now, where are the Rangers?" He asked. I pointed behind me. Seth lead the way back through the forest, and stopped where I last saw Will and Halt.

"They're not here," he stated.

"You don't say," I muttered, dropping to one knee to study the ground.

"They went this way," I said pointing away from the edge of the cliff. We followed the tracks in silence, until I realized I heard voices. I gestured for Seth to stop.

"Are we going to track Raven?" A voice said. I realized this was Will.

"No, I need my coffee." Halts voice said. Seth couldn't restrain himself; he burst into the clearing, causing Will to jump to his feet. I sighed and followed Seth. Halt raised an eyebrow.

"You captured Raven, Seth?" He asked.

"No!" I protested, at the same time Seth said, "Yes." I glared daggers at him.

"Come have some coffee," Will invited. Seth sat next to Will, but I simply leaned against a nearby tree. Halt looked pointedly at a spot near him, but I declined. My spirits rose as I heard a nicker. They had their horses nearby! I walked over to them. I stroked ones head, right between its eyes. After several minutes of petting them, I realized how tired I was. I sat with my back against a tree and drifted into a troubled sleep.

Authors note: As Aubrey Cortez brought to my attention, Prince Seth could no longer be Maddie's younger brother (again, I'm blaming my lack of observation). I'm now changing Seth's lineage, he is now Evanlyn's cousin. Now that that's cleared up (hopefully), any ideas would be welcome.

Aubrey Cortez: I'm a fairly good singer, but I play the piano, and I tried the violin, which didn't turn out as expected. Thanks for the review!

Willow Treaty: Do you mean that you Seth to fight against Raven, or fight with her against the Red Soldiers? Thanks for the review!

The next chapter should be out later today, or tomorrow; I'm having a writing streak. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5:Followed!

Chapter 5: Followed!

Raven's POV:

I jerked a wake, a hand clamped over my mouth. I looked into the blue eyes of Seth as he put a finger to his lips. I nodded and he removed his hand from my mouth, beckoning me to follow. I followed silently as maneuvered about the campsite. Will and Halt were already awake and were packing their saddle bags. I paused by Will.

"What's going on?" I whispered.

"We're being followed by the Red Soldiers," he whispered back. Seth handed me something, and realized it was a bridle. He pointed to a spot in the trees.

"You'll find a horse back there," he said in hushed tones. I nodded and walked over, quickly locating the horse. I bridled the bay horse and, not bothering about a saddle, climbed on top of it. I nudged the horse with my knee, signaling him to go forward. We walked back into the clearing. Will had already mounted Tug and was waiting on Seth and Halt. I maneuvered my horse next to Will. Halt finally got Seth's horse to behave, and we were off. Halt and Will ride in front, next was Seth, then me. The ride continued in in silence. We had entered the town, and naturally drew more attention then I liked. Finally I could stand the townspeople's stares no longer. I goaded my horse into a gallop. We tore through the town, narrowly avoiding several people and stands. After exiting the town we flew across a field. I heard the sound of galloping hooves as Will and Tug caught up with us. Will reached out and grabbed one of my reins, slowing my horse to a walk.

"Not much of a social person, are you?" He asked.

"Nope," I replied, breathless after my uncontrolled gallop across the field. I heard Halt and Seth behind me, but they seemed content to let Will and I lead. Suddenly Will asked, "What happened to your parents?"

"They died when I was ten," I replied. It was true, but not the whole truth. He turned in the saddle to look at me.

"Do you have any siblings?" He asked next. My older brother, well, he seemed like my older brother, was not an easy subject with me.

"No," I replied curtly, nudging my horse so that it speed up and walked in front of Tug. Thoughts of my "brother" filled my head. He'd had dark brown hair and black eyes. He had taught me everything I knew about weaponry, except the sword. He hadn't been there for that. He had left before that. I smiled, remembering the time me and Arratay spent out in my fathers fields, practicing archery, knife work, and hand to hand combat. Other times we would simply talk, watching the clouds roll across the sky. He was several years older than me, more than my young mind could comprehend at the time. Then, one night, a Ranger named Crowley came, and took Arratay away so that he could become a Ranger. That was the year my parents died and I was left with nothing. I never saw Arratay since he left, but now this, this Halt shows up, so much like Arratay. I tried not to show my feelings, but Halt seems to find me interesting, and I'm worried. Who is he? And why is he so familiar?

"Hey, Raven!" Seth's voice broke into my thoughts, "in case you haven't noticed, it's going to starting raining soon!" I looked up and was greeted by dark, threatening, ominous clouds.

"Oh, right." I spurred my horse into the woods after Seth. Halt fell in step beside me and groaned inwardly.

"Why do you seem so familiar?" He asked, shattering the silence. I shrugged.

"You've meet a lot of people. I'm sure I remind you of one of them." I said dismissively.

"No, I don't think so," he said quietly. I shifted atop my horse nervously. I didn't like where this was going.

"I knew someone named Arratay once." I found myself blurting. I screamed inwardly at myself to shut my mouth. But I kept talking. "He was like an older brother to me. But he left. My parents died shortly afterward." I didn't notice Halt looking intently at me.

"I see," he said quietly.

Halts POV:

"I see," I said quietly. I rode forward, stopping next to Will.

"What was all that about?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing," I replied. Abelard shook his mane, scattering raindrops everywhere. I turned back to Raven.

"You hunt?" I called, already knowing the answer. Raven looked at me cautiously, then nodded.

"Good. We'll need some food before the rain drives all the animals in to their holes." I said, turning Abelard into the thick of the woods.

Authors note: New chapter! The next one should be out later today, provided I have time after Church.

Willow Treaty: Thank you for your idea, I might be able to work it in. Seth will be in a detailed fight a little later in the plot. He and Horace should come into play a lot in future updates (once they reach Castle Araluen).

Anyway, if there are any questions please ask in a review. I seem to have cleared up the whole timeline change, but if I missed anything please bring it to my attention! Please review!


	6. Chapter 6: Castle Araluen

Chapter 6: Castle Araluen

Ravens POV:

I sighed, and propped my elbows on a windowsill. It hadn't stopped raining since we reached Castle Araluen and I was confined to my rooms. I fingered the folds of my lavish dress. We hadn't met much trouble on the way to the castle, but one incident still puzzled me. The hunt with the Ranger Halt. It was sort of like an assessment. I was confident I had done my best but why was he so iterested in me? I realized I had to get outside, or I'd go mad. I donned my dark purple tunic and gathered it around my waist with a black belt, which harbored several scabbards. I placed a knife in each one, and slipped my flute into a concealed pocket. I clasped my black cloak around my shoulders and grabbed my bow and quiver and sword. I swung my legs over the sill, dropping to the ground with a barely audible thump. I ran across the open ground and into a forest. I walked for a little while, then sat with my back up against a tree. I pulled the flute out and fingered absently. I brought it to my lips and began to play, letting the gentle, yet eerie tune bring back a wave of memories.

* * *

I gently shook Arratay's shoulder, rousing him.

"It can't be that time already," he grumbled, rolling over.

"Arratay!" My five year old voice squeaked. "You promised!" Suddenly, Arratay exploded from his bed, and scooped me up.

"Did I now?" Arratay growled playfully, and I shrieked with laughter as he began tickling me.

"You told me you'd take me outside to see the ravens dance in the moonlight," I protested between giggles. Arratay had promised to take me to see the Ravens fly at night, and I wasn't about to let him off the hook. He set me back down and draped a blanket over my shoulders.

"It'll be cold out," he explained. We walked downstairs and out the door. Arratay laid a blanket down on the grass, and we both laid down on it. I laid my head on his arm.

"Since when have I become a pillow?" He asked in mock indignation.

"Since now, so stop protesting," I said, refusing to move my head. I watching the black birds weave in and out of the trees.

"Look at that one," I breathed, pointing to a raven with silver flecks in its feathers. "I would have liked my name better if it were Raven." My name had been Gale at the time.

"No. You will always be Gale to me, not Raven," Arratay whispered back to me.

* * *

I was rudely jerked from pleasant memories by my senses. I realized there was someone behind me, a little to the left.

"Hey Seth," I greeted as he walked into my view.

"That was a pretty song," he commented. "We have to go back to Castle Araluen." A slow smile spread across my face and Seth groaned.

"Oh no you don't," he started, but I was quicker.

"You'll have catch me first!" I said, springing to my feet and running deeper into the woods. His footsteps slowly recede and I realize Seth fell behind. The forest grew quiet. Too quiet.

"S-Seth?" I called. No answer. My blood ran cold. I backtracked, back to clearing, where I was met with a most unwelcome sight. A ring of soldiers surrounded Seth. I peered at Seth, and realized his eyes were red. Cold, vibrant, deadly red. The Mark of a Red Solider. Slowly, their leader turned and pointed to me. He smiled wickedly at me as Seth slowly walked toward me with very bad intentions.

"Seth! Please! Snap out of it!" I pleaded. "Seth?! It's me, Raven!" But there was no breaking him from his trance. His sword whirled overhead and I barely brought my sword up in time to block the crushing blow. Seth spun, gaining momentum, and swung, aiming for my right arm. I ducked under the swing and brought my sword down, striking toward his legs. He sidestepped and we locked swords. It was now a contest of strength, and he would win, I was sure. I had to do something, quick. I brought a knee up to his chest and shoved. He stumbled backward, then charged at me with blinding speed. Seth swung, and his sword connected with my side, and I collapsed to the ground. My vision blurred with tears, and I waited for the last strike, but it never came. My vision cleared, and I could see a figure standing over me. He had a Ranger cloak on, but he wielded a sword. My pain must be making me delusional; Rangers don't use swords.

"Are you hurt? We have to get out of here while Gilan can hold off Prince Seth," a kind voice said. Gilan? Oh that must be the sword wielding Ranger. I looked into a handsome young face of a knight. He had blonde hair and blue green eyes.

"I'm hurt," I croaked, motioning to the gash in my side. Then I added, "Who're you?"

"Horace," he replied, scooping me up bridal-style. I groaned in pain.

"I'm Raven. Raven . . . Gale." I told him before drifted into unconsciousness.

Authors note: New chapter! Any guesses as to who Arratay is? ;)

Willow Treaty: Background on the Red Soliders will come later, when Raven explains them to King Duncan. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this slightly more detailed fight with Seth, it was inspired by your idea.

Something like me: I plan on making chapters longer, but schools been hard, and I have a lot of extracurricular activities, so I don't have much time for writing. But I'll try to make them longer.

Mac Gustah: I guess we'll just have to find out!

Aubrey Cortez: a triangle is an interesting instrument. I don't play the flute, but I thought it would be easier then having Raven haul a piano into the forest! :P ;)

Anyway, next chapter should be out by Tuesday. I probably forgot something I wanted to say . . .


	7. Chapter 7: Explanation

Chapter 7:

Halt's POV:

I paced up and down the hall outside of Raven's room, deep in thought. Who had caused Seth to injure her? Who hypnotized him? Footsteps broke through my thoughts and I looked up to see Gilan walking toward me from Seth's room.

"How bad did you hurt him?" I asked.

"Not that bad," Gilan said not meeting my gaze.

"'Not that bad'" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I had to knock him out!" Gilan protested. A choking sound came from Will, who was sitting behind me. Gilan glared at him. I noticed Will's shoulders were shaking and he was trying desperately to hide a smile. The doctors head poked out of Seth's room.

"His Majesty is awake. He would like to speak to Ranger Halt and Ranger Gilan," he said.

Raven's POV:

A person shimmered in out of focus. I squinted, and the figure merged into one.

"Arratay!" I cried. Arratay embraced me.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" I asked burying my head in his chest.

"That you are. But I can pinch you if you like," Arratay said, his dark eyes alight with mischief. I backed away, shaking my head.

"Don't. You. Dare." I said.

"You've grown so tall, Gale" he said. I smiled sadly.

"I'm not Gale any more. I'm Raven now," I told him. He shook his head.

"You're Gale to me," he said, hugging me again. I pulled away, remembering something that I had wanted to ask him all this time.

"Why did you leave?" I asked. He looked sad.

"I had to, I had no choice," he said, a distant look in his eyes.

"Of course you had a choice," I said softly. He frowned.

"How's your injury?" He asked concerned. I groaned at the memory.

"It'll be fine," I said, noticing that he began shimmer again.

"No! Please don't leave me again!" I cried. He completely vanished, but I could hear his voice on the wind, "Farewell, sweet Gale. I shall see you again!" The dream faded and I slowly regained consciousness. I was in my room, lying on my bed. There was a person in the room with me. He had an unmistakable shock of brown hair.

"Will?" I asked. His head jerked up.

"You're awake!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm awake," I said, smiling. My side wound was bothering me, but I sat up anyway. I recalled the events of my rescue. I parked my train of thought. The Ranger with the sword, Gilan was his name.

"There was a Ranger there, at my rescue, I mean. Who was he?" I asked.

"Oh, that was Gilan. He was Halt's first apprentice. He was training as a knight before he became a Ranger, hence the sword," Will replied. I nodded. So my pain hadn't made me delusional.

"And Horace?" I asked. Will smiled.

"He's a knight, one of my best friends," he said. I nodded.

"And Seth?"

"He's fine," Will paused, recalling Gilans words. "He's 'not that bad'." I raised an eyebrow.

"I see." Slam! The door banged open, revealing a very upset Seth.

"Raven?! Are you ok?" He asked, shouldering Will aside, who glared at him.

"I'm fine," I assured him, but he refused to be forgiven.

"This is all my fault!" He said upon laying eyes on my injury. He raked his fingers through his mass of blonde hair.

"No, Seth. It isn't. They hypnotized you. They made you do it," I assured him. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't quite have all of my memory back, but other than that, all I have is a broken arm," Seth said. "Oh, and, who exactly are those guys, the ones the hypnotized me?" I sighed. There was a long story ahead.

"First, I need to tell you about me. Hand me that cloth over there," I gestured to the nightstand. He handed me the cloth, which I unfolded. There was a maple leaf embroidered on the brown fabric. It was the symbol of the Exiled. Often it would sport an arrow running through the leaf's main vein. I sighed and began, "I am a descendant of the Exiled, a group of Araleuns skilled in many forms of weaponry, silent movement, and tracking. We fought the Red Soldiers, lost, and were forced to leave Araluen. However, some remained, becoming farmers. Eventually, they lost their legendary skill and reputation. They merged with the people, and they passed out of common knowledge, and were just tales from legend. That brings us to the Red Soldiers. They came from overs seas. When they defeated the Exiled, their numbers were too dilapidated; they couldn't conquer the rest of Araluen. They left, with a promise to come back and conquer Araluen. I fear they have finished regrouping and are planning to invade Araluen," I finished.

"And the scarf?" Seth prompted.

"It's a bandana. The maple leaf was their symbol," I replied.

"The King should hear of this," Seth said. I gulped.

"Th-the King?" I squeaked.

Authors note: Whooh! Another chapter, a day early! The Red Soldiers are explained in this chapter, as well as the Exiled. I hope that cleared up any confusion, if not, please ask in a review.

Willow Treaty: I'm glad you liked it! Let me know if you have any more ideas!

Mac Gustah: Thanks! I probably could break my record, but I might get in trouble for spending to much time on my iPod. You're really close, can you confirm who Arratay is? If you want to know where to find the answer, just ask.

Next chapter should be up tomorrow! See ya then! Please review!


	8. Chapter 8: Meeting King Duncan

Chapter 8: Meeting King Duncan

Raven's POV:

I stared at Seth blankly, then offered my excuse.

"I'm injured," I said triumphantly. Seth eyed me.

"How far are you going to take this?" He asked. I crossed my arms across my chest.

"Pretty far," I said, taking pride in my stubbornness.

"Guess I'll have to go get Halt . . ." Seth said, standing up. Something told me that that would NOT be good. I lurched out of bed, grabbing the bedpost for balance.

"I'm up, I'm up!" I protested. Seth paused by the door.

"I'll send my cousin down here to help you freshened up. She wanted to meet you anyway," he said and disappeared, closing the door behind him. His cousin?! If I knew my history (and I did) that would be Princess Cassandra. I shrugged. It is what it is. I moved to the closets, intent on picking out the plainest, most comfortable things they called dresses. I tossed each one onto my bed, not liking any. Then I realized I hadn't heard the thump of one of the dresses hitting my bed. I turned, and found a girl standing by my bed, holding the dress up in front of her.

"This one won't do, would it?" She asked. I smiled slightly.

"No, it wouldn't. Who are you?" I asked as I took in her auburn hair and striking blue-green eyes.

"Some call me Evanlyn," she replied. I looked her up and down, then grinned.

"You're sure you're not Princess Cassandra? Seth said he was sending his cousin down here." I said. She stared at me, then sighed.

"How did you figure that out?" She asked.

"Well, for one, the way you dress. Two, you knew what I was doing. Three, you obviously know Seth; you didn't tell me to call him 'Prince Seth' like the servants would have. Four, you confirmed my suspicions by saying 'how did you figure that out?'" I answered. She gave me a withering look, and I remained unwithered.

"Well," she began. "I figured you wouldn't like any of these dresses, so I brought one for you. Meanwhile, you should bathe, and then we can bandage your wound." I noted that Cassandra had changed the subject rather quickly. I bathed and reluctantly let her clean my wound. She told me to close my eyes, and slipped the dress over my head and adjusted it in several places.

"Ok, open your eyes!" She said happily. I complied, and studied my self in the mirror. I was wearing a dark purple dress with long sleeves that fanned out at the ends. In the front, it came down to my knees, while in the back it came down to my ankles.

"The bottom is designed for an archer," she explained. I had a silver belt across my lower rib cage. It served two purposes; it held the bandages in place, and helped the beautiful dress flatter my slim frame. My black hair, now past shoulder length, I noted, was braided into a crown my head.

"Wow," I breathed.

"You're actually quite pretty," Cassandra told me. She showed me to her fathers study, where I was told to wait outside. Several minutes later a person, Halt, (I could tell by the way he walked) approached me. Halt stood for a while, staring at me.

"Can I help you?" I asked looking up at him.

"Yes," he replied. "This, this Arratay, what was he like?"

"Honestly, he was my best friend. He was funny at times. I could tell he was troubled about something, though. He could be very distant at times." I cast a sidelong glance at Halt. "He . . . he named me."

"He named you Raven?" Halt asked.

"No, he named me Gale. My parents hadn't named me yet, so he did," I said softly. Halt looked at me, a brief look of sorrow, regret, and . . . surprise? He backed away slowly, then turned, and walked away briskly. Shortly after, I was summoned into King Duncan's study. I licked my lips nervously, and opened my mouth to speak, but King Duncan beat me to it.

"Raven . . ." He began, and paused.

"Gale," I offered hastily. "Raven Gale."

"That's what you told Sir Horace, but Ranger Halt believes differently."

"Halt believes a lot of things differently, my lord." King Duncan looked down at his papers.

"I have reason to believe that I have an enemy at my doorstep."

"That's right. They've been hiding in Celtica. But, now they have all their Soldiers from over seas, and it is only a matter of time before they strike."

"Who are they?" I had been expecting this, and told him the same thing I told Seth, about the Red Soldiers, and myself.

"I see. Would you join me for dinner? We can talk more then." He said. I inclined my head.

"Of course, my lord," I said silkily. "I'll see you then." I turned and left the room. Halt avoided me the rest of the day, which was odd. Several hours passed, which I spent in my room thinking, and I was summoned to supper. My hands grew clammy, and my nerves were screaming at me. Something was wrong, I could sense.

Authors note: 'Nother chapter! Another one should be up Thursday.

Willow Treaty: Unfortunately, I can't get lettuce to fight with carrots, and aliens don't fit in the RA world.

Are there any other ideas as to Arratay's true identity? Some of you are getting close . . .


	9. Chapter 9: Recognized!

Chapter : Recognized!

Halt's POV:

As I stared into Raven's eyes, I was engulfed with memories I had long since forgotten . . .

Third person POV:

The cloaked figure fled across the field, clutching a small bundle to his chest. Arrows zipped past him, one snagging his sleeve. He clutched the bundle closer to him, feeling the heartbeat of the infant increase. He cast an anguished glance over his shoulder, and saw the mounted pursuers gaining ground. The boy turned to the forest in a last, desperate attempt to escape his pursuers. He ran deeper into the forest, branches slapping at his face. The thrumming of hooves faded away, and the boy slowed, drawing many ragged breaths. A shrill cry came from the bundle he had risked his life to save. He pulled the bundle away from him now, and brushed the jet black hair out of the girls faced.

"Hush, Gale. We'll be out of Clonmel soon." The boy assured. The baby opened her sage green eyes and held the boys dark brown ones. A snapping twig caused the boys head to jerk up, his cowl falling back to reveal his mass of black hair. The boy, once a prince, now an outcast, dove deeper into the forest.

Halt's POV:

I backed away, a brief look of sorrow, regret and surprise flashed through my eyes. I covered it up quickly, and walked stiffly down the hall. I didn't speak much for the rest of the day, and Will picked up on it. After supper, he cornered me.

"Halt? Are you ok?" Will asked, frowning in concern.

"I'm fine," I replied curtly. "I just . . . have a lot of things on my mind."

"Ah. The Red Soldiers?"

"Yes," I replied rather hastily. "Could you go see what Gilan is up too? One of the servants complained that he is going to wear a hole in the floor; he's so restless." Will nodded emphatically.

"Of course, Halt," he said and turned and walked away. I headed to my bedroom with every intention of retiring early. Every intention was dashed when I heard a knock on the door. Why do these servants have to be so obsessed with cleaning?!

"Who is it?" I asked anyway.

"It's Gilan," a muffled voice said. Oh. Ops. It was Gilan, not a servant.

"Come!" I called so Gilan could hear me through these absurdly thick doors. I heard the door creak open as Gilan entered. I frowned at the worried look on Gilan's face.

"Everything ok?" I asked my former apprentice. His brows contracted even further as he answered.

"No, everything is not alright. Raven's gone missing. Again." He added heavily.

Raven's POV:

My nerves bugged me all through supper, driving me more and more on edge. I was jumping at every sound, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. After the tortuous meal was over, I fled to my rooms, hoping to distract my nerves by buying my nose in a book. That plan failed. I tried writing. No success. Eventually, I was about to scream to release the tension when I realized what had happened. I'd been inside for more than a day. Not bothering to change, (this dress was just fine for romping in the forest after dark) I grabbed my cloak, wrapped my bow and sword in it and eased the door open. I made all the way to a door (that I presumed to go outside) when a guard stopped me.

"Where are you going, thief," he asked harshly. I gave him a long suffering look.

"I have a name, you know."

"Not interested. Now answer the question."

"Raven."

"What?"

"That's my name. Raven."

"I didn't ask your name!"

"Oh. My apologies. What did you ask me?"

"Where. Are. You. Going."

"Outside." I shouldered him aside. I smirked. These guards were fun. I strode into the forest, and was promptly knocked down by a furry object. It began licking me all over.

"Shadow! Can't breathe!" I gasped between licks. He back off of me, and cocked his head.

'Where've you been?' I started in surprise.

"You just . . . talked. To me."

'I did.' I shook my head and marveled.

"I'm going crazy."

'No, you're not.' I swear Shadow just smirked at me. I frowned.

"If I'm not going crazy"

'Which you're not' At this I glared at him.

"Be quiet and let me finish. Can anybody else hear you?"

'Not unless they want to.'

"That's a relief. I'm the only one going crazy."

"You're not going crazy." The new voice surprised me. I looked up to see Halt standing over me.

"You can hear Shadow too?"

"Yes."

'Of course he can!' Shadow cut in. I glared at him.

"You're quite the sarcastic wolf." I informed him.

"Why'd you come after me?" I asked Halt.

'He didn't want you to get lost.' Shadow answered for Halt.

"Great. I just found out my pet can talk, and he's a cheeky wolf to boot." I said, glaring Shadow into silence.

"I came to bring her back before she gets ambushed. Again." Halt added with a look at me.

"We need to go back to the castle," I put in hastily, hoping Shadow wouldn't come with us. My hopes were dashed.

'I'm coming with you.' He announced.

"Of course you are," I muttered under my breath.

'I heard that!' Shadow protested. I glanced at Halt and noticed he was trying to hide a grin. The look was all to familiar. Then I realized what was bothering me all along. Halt and Arratay were so similar. Then it clicked. They weren't similar. They were the same person.

"A-Arratay?"

Authors note: The secret comes out! I hope I surprised some of you. I'm going to update regularly now; my Frozen book needs some MAJOR improvements. And inspiration. But I'll work on it later XD.

Nightshade2412: thank you for bringing that to my attention, I'll fix the summary. I saw the problems in chapter one, and tried to fix it, but it didn't work. I changed the document but it still didn't work. Same for the part with Seth. How do I fix it?

I would appreciate any ideas! Constructive criticism is appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10: The Truth Revealed

ATTENTION: This chapter contains spoilers from Kings of Clonmel. Just thought you should know.

Chapter 10: Truth Revealed

Halt's POV:

"A-Arratay?" Raven asked, her expression unreadable.

I froze, unable to answer her.

"Y-you left! Why?" She continued.

"I had too. My being there with your . . . family," I stumbled over the word, then recovered, and continued. "Endangered you . . ." My voice trailed away.

"Endangered me?!" Raven started. "How would I be 'endangered' by your presence?"

"I can't tell you, yet."

"Can't tell me? You can't tell me why you left, why you never came back?"

"No, you're not ready for the whole truth. You're not ready to discover who you really are." Raven spun on her heel and stormed further into the forest, Shadow reluctantly following.

I wasn't worried. I knew what she was doing. She'd go deep into the forest, calm herself down, come back, and let me speak to her. Right now, she was just upset. And I didn't blame her. As I walked back to the castle, I dissolved into another memory.

Third person POV:

Two eyes gleamed in the gloom, and if you looked hard enough, you could see the faint outline of a boy standing in the shadows. He walked forward, and knocked on the door of a small farmhouse. The creaked open, revealing an old mans face.

"Excuse me, sir." The boy said, his voice weary. The old man smiled kindly.

"Arratay! We were told you would be stopping by." The man said.

"I've been followed," the boy, Arratay, says quickly, extending a bundle to the man.

"Is this Gale?" The man asked, taking the infant, and cradling her.

"Yes, that's Gale. I have to go know, the soldiers who followed me will not be far behind."

"You'll come back?"

"I will always come back."

Ravens POV:

I turned from Halt, or Arratay, and stormed deeper into the forest. Suddenly I broke into a run. Rain streamed down my face, or were they tears? I couldn't tell. Branches whipped at my face, a cut on my cheek forming. The sky was now an ominous black, whether from rain laden clouds or nighttime I could not tell. I slowed, my distress and confusion fading away. I shouldn't have snapped at Halt. I look around, not recognizing where I was. My hand instinctively fell to my left hip, and I frowned when my hand did not meet the worn hilt of my sword. I realized I had left my weapons back in the clearing with Halt.

'You pick the worst times to leave your weapons behind,' Shadow said, and I jumped, startled.

"Oh, it's just you." I said dismissively.

'Just me? It's just me?!' Shadow protested indignantly. I patted his head absently. I slumped against a tree, and brought my knees up to me chest. My clothes were wet by now, and I was freezing. Shadow sensed this and laid down beside me, trying to warm me with his body heat. I must've drifted off, for when I awoke it had stopped raining. I ran my fingers through my damp hair and stood. I froze when I heard a cough, then relaxed.

"Halt." I greeted. He strode forward, and handed me a lumpy bundle, which held my bow and swords.

"Wouldn't do to have you kidnapped on the brink of a war," he said.

"Oh. Well, in that case, thanks." I replied, still a little surprised by his nonchalant attitude.

"Have a seat, Raven," Halt said, and I sat, drawing my cloak around me for warmth. We sat in silence, though I was bursting with questions. Finally, I couldn't hold it back any longer.

"Where've you been? How come you didn't come back? What's so special about me?" He held up a hand and I halted my verbal torrent.

"I see you've picked up some traits from my apprentices," he commented dryly. I recalled that Arratay never liked questions.

"No, we just do it to you." I assured.

"So it seems like. To answer your questions, I should probably let you know who I am. Or what I am." At this I perked up. This sounded interesting.

"I'm a Hibernian Prince, Halt O'Carrick." He began. I leaned forward.

"Y-you are? What made you leave?"

"My brother, Ferris. You see, we were twins. However, I was born first, therefore I was first in line for the throne. He didn't like this so much. So I left to avoid conflict. I'm not the princely type, anyway." At this I laughed.

"No, you most certainly are not," I agreed. "Where do I come into all this? You just stayed at my parents house, right?" I asked anxiously. Though, by the way he looked at me, I could tell there was something else.

"That's where it gets complicated. You're . . . you're not a farmers daughter. You're a Princess. My younger sister." I almost fell over.

"I'm sorry, I heard you wrong. I can't be a Princess. I'm a thief!" I stammered.

"No, you heard right. You were born shortly before I left, so I took you with me. I couldn't leave you with Ferris." I then remembered my prided lineage.

"I can't be. I'm an Exiled."

"Well, that's where legends are annoying things. You are, this is true, as am I. When the Exiled left Araluen, they married into royal families in all countries. But, rumor has it, their abilities only pass down to certain members of the families."

"So, then, how could you tell I was an Exiled?" For, indeed, Halt had informed me of my background.

"You were a quiet, petite baby, like I was. You also had strong back muscles. You also couldn't stand people."

"Oh. So, why didn't you come back after the fire that killed my 'parents'?"

"I thought you died."

"Obviously I didn't."

"No, you didn't." He moved over beside me and put an arm around my shoulders. I smiled up at my friend. My teacher. My brother.

Authors note: Wow! Surprise surprise! Who was expecting that?

Mac Gustah: yes, I took inspiration! Hope you don't mind.

TrustTheCloak: Thanks! Her personality is based off of mine (and Halt's)

Willow Treaty: Any more ideas? (other than a lettuce and carrot war XD (I'm still having a laugh over that)) nothing happened to Thursday. I just need to work on my other book; so while I do that, I'll update more often on this book.

ATTENTION: A chapter may not come out tomorrow, I have a piano recital and will probably spend most of the day on the piano. Can anyone guess what I'm playing? ;) it's a pretty popular piece these days . . .


	11. Chapter 11: Learning to Trust

Chapter 11: Learning to Trust

Will's POV:

I frowned, exchanging a worried glance with Gilan. Halt and Raven should have been back by now. Gilan was drumming his fingers in the hilt if his sword, deep in thought. It has been reported that the Red Soldiers were encamped very close. I could stand it now more.

"I'm going to find them," I announced. Gilan shook his head.

"Not alone. I'm going with you." He stated firmly.

"As am I." Horace said from behind me. We walked to the stables, and I went straight to Tug. Abelard was in the stall next to Tug, and I paused. The look in his eyes held a silent, pleading look. Deciding quickly, I grabbed both horses' lead ropes and walked them out of their stalls. On my way to tack the horses up, I saw Horace talking with another knight. I realized that it was Prince Seth, who was in the middle of saddling a battle horse. They were having a lively argument, and it was making Kicker, Horace's horse, uneasy. I shrugged. Their dispute was between them, and I was intent on staying out of it. However, when a raised shout startled Tug, I decided I was going to intervene. I walked over to them.

"What's going on?" I asked, and they both turned to me.

"Horace won't let me come with you!" Seth said, at the same time, Horace said: "Seth wants to come with us!" And both glared daggers at each other.

"Who's to say he can't?" I asked. Horace opened and closed his mouth several times, then assumed a look of defeat. Seth grinned triumphantly, and placed the saddle on his horse with an audible whump. He horse danced several paces sideways, startled by the sudden weight on its back. I noticed Gilan had been paying mild attention to the disagreement and looked a question at me as I passed. I shrugged. Blaze nickered a greeting to Tug and Abelard as Gilan walked closer to me.

"What was that all about?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"Seth wanted to come with us, and Horace didn't want him to," I said, tightening Tug's saddle girth. I left Abelard's loose. I slipped the bridle over Tug's head and clasped a few buckles. Next to me, Gilan swung atop Blaze as if he had done it most of his life. Then again, he probably has, I thought ruefully. I slipped my foot in to the stirrup and swung into the saddle. Gilan and I made our way outside, and waited for Seth and Horace. I laid my bow across my thighs and adjusted my quiver several times. There was a clatter of hooves, and Seth appeared beside me. He had a horse next to him too, I noticed.

"What's that horse for?" I asked, gesturing to the bay.

"That's for Raven. Did you think she'd walk?" He replied. I realized I had sort of forgotten about Raven.

"Well, no. I didn't." I said, just as Horace came out.

"Let's go!" Gilan said, urging his horse in to a gallop. We followed suit, until we reached the forest. We rode straight into it the forest, deep in to the heart. Suddenly, there was a deep throated hum, all to familiar to me. There was a slithering hiss of steel against leather and the clash of sword against sword. I looked at Gilan, who was already dismounting. I grabbed the quiver from the pommel of the saddle and strapped it across my back, and took an arrow from my quiver and laid it on my bowstring.

Several hours earlier . . .

Halt's POV:

I slowly opened one eye, denying the fact that it was morning. The sunlight glinted off of Ravens hair. I rolled over and shook her shoulder.

"Raven! Wake up! We have to get back to Castle Araluen." I whispered. Raven ignored me, but I could tell she was awake.

"Raven! We have GOT to go!" I said, my temper running short. She rolled over and opened one eye.

"I'd rather stay here," she commented. Raven propped herself up against a tree. "Don't suppose you have any coffee, by chance?" I allowed a small grin at this.

"No," I replied, though I wish I did. "You don't have any food, do you?"

"I suppose you'll have to go hungry," she said dryly. I groaned in response. I stood, motioning got her to follow. Shadow stretched and shook out his pelt, causing it to stick up in all directions.

"Shadow, you look like a spike ball," Raven chided.

'And I suppose your hair is in better shape?' Shadow scoffed. Raven raked her fingers through her hair in response. She turned to me.

"I'm not that bad, am I?" She asked, a worried look on her face. I shook my head, hiding a small grin. I turned and began walking to the edge, or what I hoped was the edge, of the forest. Raven fell in step with me. We walked for an hour before she broke the silence.

"This tree looks familiar," she said, a hint of worry in her voice. I looked closer at it.

"So it does," l agreed. She looked at me.

"We're going in circles!" She exclaimed. I nodded. I glanced up at the sun.

"It's that way," I told her. We continued on, but Raven was still on edge. After a while, a sharp gasp escaped her lips. I turned around.

"You ok?" I asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, though I tell her voice was strained.

"Your injury isn't bothering you, is it?" I prompted.

"No!" She replied sharply. She looked up, and I could see her eyes were wide. Suddenly, I felt it too. A sharp pain, for where it came I could not tell. Just outside of my subconscious, a presence lurked.

"It's them. The Red Soldiers." She confirmed my suspicions. At that moment, an arrow, no doubt aimed at me, arched into the air. Raven grabbed my wrist and yanked. I stumbled toward her. I recovered long enough to fire an arrow at the figure in the forest. Behind me, Raven drew her sword and I heard the clang of sword against sword.

Authors note: there you go! New chapter!

Willow Treaty: thanks! I used one of your ideas. It'll appear in the next chapter.

Mac Gustah: Thanks!

Something like me: One has to be a quick typer when one's limited on the time one spends on their iPod. Plus, I love writing this so much!

Next chapter will be out later today or tomorrow.


	12. Chapter 12: Overpowered!

Chapter 12: Overpowered!

Raven's POV:

Our swords met, and I glared into the red eyes of one of the Soldiers. Suddenly, an arrow slammed into him, and he staggered backward several paces. I followed the arrows course, and saw Will, Seth, Horace and Gilan. I breathed a sigh of relief. I saw Halt dropping soldier after soldier with his bow, and Horace and Seth were a whirlwind of destruction. I deflected another attack, and lunged.

"Raven!" Came the warning call from Halt. At the last second, I spun, bringing my sword up. The overhead blow jarred my arms with its crushing power. I flicked my blade down the length of soldiers blade, slicing deep into his arm. Suddenly, he crumpled in front of me, revealing Gilan.

"Thanks," I gasped. He nodded. I fought my way to Halt.

"What's the plan?" I asked.

"You, Will, Seth, and Horace need to get out of here!" He shouted over the roar of battle.

"I'm not leaving you!" I yelled. He turned to me, his dark eyes glittering with anger.

"Go. Now." He said, his voice ominously low.

"You're sure?" I asked, still worried.

"Of course I'm sure! Just get out of here!" He roared at me. I gave him a sad smile, and turned to find Seth. I saw him off to the side, engaged in a very one-sided duel. I joined him and we moved in perfect unison. He cut the Soldier down, and turned to another, but I stopped him with a firm grip on his upper arm. The look I gave said it all: we're leaving, no questions asked. Though this is the last thing I want to do . . . He nodded, understanding. We fought our way to Will and Horace, who were fighting back to back.

"Will! Horace!" I yelled, hoarse from shouting over the roar of battle. "To me!" Will frowned, and I almost said 'Halt said', but realized that probably wouldn't have the desired effect. Reluctantly, Will and Horace made their way to Seth and me. I pointed to the trees in an unmistakable order. Horace and Seth ran to mount their battle horses, and Will and I followed more slowly, firing arrow after arrow in to the throng of soldiers that were overpowering Halt and Gilan. Finally we made it to the horses, and Seth motioned for me to mount the bay. I knew that the forests, twisted by some magic the Red Soldiers had, would quickly confuse, as it had done Halt earlier. I pointed in a direction and we followed it. I only looked back once, and saw Halt and Gilan fighting back to back. A feeling of helplessness and anguish rose in my chest as I saw an arrow find Halt's shoulder. Then an impatient jerk on the reins brought me back to my present situation. I nudged my horse in to a gallop, and we pelted after the others. We rode at a flat out gallop for several hours before reaching the edge of the forest. Will never said a word the whole trip. Disoriented, and having no clue where we were, we decided to have a vote. I wanted to find an inn (so that we could have lunch). Naturally, Horace wanted to go back to Castle Araluen, and Seth wanted to camp. Will still remained silent. Seth finally asserted the fact that he was a prince, and that we had to listen to him. This brought several indignant protests and we decided to stay here for lunch, then decide what to do. I glanced at the ever-silent Will. I thought I knew what was wrong, and I would have to talk to him later. We lit a small fire and Seth passed out a few pieces of bread, and some chunks of dried, cooked, meat. Afterwards, we made coffee and prepared to discuss our plan of action. I looked from Horace to Will to Seth.

"Will, come with me. You two discuss our options. All of them," I added. Will followed me as we walk out of our camping area, and out of earshot of the two Knights.

"What's wrong, Will?" I asked. He looked up at me, his eyes filled with anguish.

"I should be with Halt! I should have stayed! Instead, I left." He replied. I nodded.

"Then tell me, Will, how you plan to help us rescue him, if you've been captured along with him?" He stared up at me.

"They-they're not going to. . . to . . ." He couldn't finish the sentence.

"No, they didn't, Will. If anything, the Soldiers took them captive and will ship them back over seas and use Halt and Gilan as slaves." Will paled.

"If they do that, I'll probably never see them again."

"No, you wouldn't have. But, we won't let that happen." I saw the confidence returning to his eyes.

"No, I won't. We won't." He replied. "So, what's the plan?" I chuckled.

"Anything that I can come up with." I replied. He nodded with satisfaction.

"Now, are you ready to voice you opinion?" I asked. As I stared at his eager face, I realized I felt sort of responsible for him,my being Halt's sister. He nodded, and followed me back to camp. Seth and Horace were staring at each other with undisguised malice. I groaned inwardly.

"What's going on?" I snapped. "Can you two EVER agree on something?!"

"No," Seth said through clenched teeth. I sighed.

"We'll start over," I announced, leaning against a tree. "Let's discuss Seth's plan first. Seth?"

"Well, I want to go find Halt. Track them before dark." He replied. We worked through this plan, and decided it was not a good one because we'd have to go on all day, and probably without food. The battle horses were extremely tired, as were the riders. Horace wanted to go back to Castle Araluen, and that was dismissed quickly. Will and I won. We wanted to go find a town, an inn, get supplies and rest.

"After all, they won't leave for the seas for a few days," I had said. We mounted our horses and headed toward a gray mass in the distance that I had deemed a town.

Authors note: Wow, this is late! Sorry it's so short, next chapter will be longer.

Mac Gustah: I hope I explained the slight problem of a Ranger getting lost. If I didn't explain it adequately, please let me know. I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

Willow Treaty: I mixed a few of your ideas, and the storyline got a LOT longer because of it. Thank you! Mail's not so bad . . . especially with the odd magazine once a month.

Next chapter should be up tomorrow. Please review!


	13. Chapter 13: Scouting

Chapter 13: Scouting

Will's POV:

I flopped down onto one of the two beds in the room. Raven had lead us to an inn, though it had taken several hours to do so. Now, she was in her own room, unpacking her few possessions. Seth copied me, and, naturally, his being much bigger than me, nearly propelled me into the ceiling with his force. I glared at him and he chuckled. Suddenly, Raven burst into our room.

"Guys!" She said, then recovered her composure, and said in a tone similar to Halt's, "you'd better come see this, it's important." She had changed to a dark green tunic, gray leggings and dark brown soft-soled boots.

"Come on, Will," she said to me, as if I needed further goading. However, I was used to the aura of mystery that came with being a Ranger, so I hesitated, sizing up this slightly built, slightly older female who was telling me what to do. But, for some reason, probably the don't-mess-with-me attitude, told me it would be unwise to do so. We followed her outside. Parading through the marketplace, and herding two prisoners among them, was our quarry. I stiffened.

"I thought you said the Red Soldiers didn't like people noticing them?" I asked Raven. She shook her head.

"It's true. This is quite unusual of them. Unless . . ." She looked at me in horror. "They're not taking Halt and Gilan back to their country. They're taking them elsewhere. To Skandia." The word froze my heart.

"We can rescue Halt and Gil tonight, right? I mean, they're probably staying in this town, right?" Horace cut in.

"No. Something's not right about this whole thing. It's just to easy. Besides, I'd like to find out what business they have in Skandia," Raven replied.

"It's too easy?!" I repeated indignantly. "This is my mentor we're talking about! And Gilan too! You expect us to just sit here and watch Halt and Gil suffer at the hands of these . . . these invaders?!"

"No, I expect you to come with me tonight and scout out their camp." She replied, as calm as ever. "Believe me, Will, I want to rush in there and rescue them too, but we don't really know what we're up against." After several minutes of awkward silence, Horace looked pointedly at the setting sun and said "Isn't it about supper time?" Seth agreed enthusiastically.

"Finally!" Raven exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "Something you two agree on!" Both nodded, and Raven and I exchanged a grin. She was kind of like a miniature Halt, I realized.

Raven's POV:

I watched as Will spooned honey into his coffee.

"You're going to be up all night," I pointed out. He shrugged happily.

"We're going to be out all night anyway," he said, reminding me of our future midnight escapade. I nodded.

"True," I replied. Then, when no one was watching, I spooned honey into my coffee too. I returned to the table where we had supper. Seth leaned over.

"I saw that," he whispered in my ear. I blushed.

"You saw nothing," I replied in like manner. He pretended to be puzzled, then replied, "you're right! I didn't."

"Didn't what?" Horace cut in, eyeing Seth coldly.

"Nothing!" Seth replied hastily. Will rolled his eyes.

"It's probably time for bed," he commented. I nodded quickly.

"It is," I said. Anything to get these two separate, I thought ruefully. Will and I escorted them upstairs and we literally fell into bed.

Sometime around midnight . . .

Click! Creak! The sound pulled me from my slumber. There was a solitary figure standing in the doorway. I Immediately recognized the figure as Will.

"It's that time already?" I asked, but it came out more like a croak. He nodded. I rolled out of the bed, slipped my feet into my boots, and fastened my black cloak about my shoulders.

"Then, let's go," I said. Will headed for the door. I shook my head violently.

"Not that way!" I whispered, and pointed to the window. Will nodded, and we lowered ourselves out of the window. Then, taking lead, I swarmed up a nearby wall and casually jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Will followed, and soon we were out of the village. We crept along the turf; the soldiers would be encamped outside of the town. Each sound Will made echoed inside my head, my overly acute hearing picking up every footfall. Literally. Plus, I was nervous. Nervousness always heightened my senses. Finally, I snapped.

"Didn't Halt teach you how to move silently?!" I demanded, whirling around to face him. He was actually silent, but I was to tensed to realize that.

"Yes, he did. But he didn't teach me how to float!" He protested.

"More's the pity," I said under my breath. "Look, over there! There's a sentry." I crept over to him and seemingly rose up from the ground. The sentry opened his mouth, but I was quicker. My fist swung and connected with his jaw with a satisfactory, resounding crack. He dropped to the ground and Will regarded me with something close to awe.

"How'd you do that?" He whispered. I opened my hand to reveal a small iron ball nestled perfectly in my palm.

"It's formed to fit my hand. It adds authority to any blow I can offer," I explained. Will nodded.

"Looks like we've got a prisoner," I commented. We secured him tightly and left him lying there till he regained consciousness. Will and I crept closer to the camp. I peeked out of the foliage. I froze. Smack in the middle of the camp, chained together, sat Halt and Gilan. And Halt was looking straight at us.

Authors note: Barely squeaked this in! Anyway, enjoy!

TrustTheCloak: Suspense makes half the book. Thanks! I appreciate the compliment.

Willow Treaty: I'm ok, for now. I'll let you know as soon as I need an idea.

Mac Gustah: Thank you!

Please review! My writing has improved so much thanks to you guys! Thanks so much for your support!


	14. Chapter 14: Our Journey Has Just Begun

Chapter 14: Our Journey Has Just Begun

Halt's POV:

I rotated my now extremely stiff shoulder. Gilan nudged me.

"Look! Over there," he whispered. I looked out of the camp, and saw two figures creeping silently along the ground toward the totally unsuspecting sentry. One rose up, and struck the sentry down. They conversed for a few seconds, then bound him and crept closer to the camp. Once close enough, they settled down and peered through the foliage.

"I think that's Will and Raven," I whispered back. "But they won't try to rescue us; its to risky."

"Do y'think someone saw them?" Gil asked.

"No, only we saw them," I replied. When I looked back at the foliage, Raven and Will had disappeared. I scanned the field, and saw them moving backward to the sentry. Again, they paused to talk, probably about whether or not to take the sentry back with them. Then one, presumably Raven, pointed away from the camp, and the other one, Will, walked in the direction she indicated.

"What's she doing?" Gilan whispered.

"It would seem that she's laying a false trail. After all, you can't kidnap their sentry and have the soldiers not be suspicious." I replied. "So she's got Will laying a false trail; in the wrong direction, too." Gil nodded.

"Nothing much escapes her, does it?" He commented. Then Raven proceeded to carry the sentry, which was rather difficult, because she was so petite. She soon passed out of view, so I switched my gaze to Will. He was making slow progress; he was making sure the trail was perfectly clear. He reached the edge of the forest, disappeared for about fifteen minutes, then dropped out of a tree many meters away from where he had entered the forest. He ran lightly in the direction Raven had gone. Then sudden wave of fatigue engulfed me, and I slipped into a troubled sleep.

Raven's POV:

We had made it back to the inn, with a prisoner too. Now I lay, collapsed on the bed. I slept, until the sun woke me. I sat up in bed. I dressed in a faded, blue tunic with black leggings and my brown boots. I turn ran a quick comb through my long hair an frowned in the mirror. If we were going to Skandia, I needed to disguise myself. I twisted my hair a certain way, then folded it over a certain way. I studied my handiwork. My hair was now very short, ending above my shoulders. Now I could pass for a boy. I trotted downstairs for breakfast and found Seth and Horace eating enthusiastically. Will was shaking his head and grinning. He saw me and motioned for me to sit down with them. I did.

"You cut your hair!" Seth managed between swallows. I shook my head.

"It's s type of twist. It makes my hair seem shorter. So that I can pass as a boy," I explained. Will frowned.

"Why would you need to pass as a boy?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Oberjarl Erak and I have. . . met. . . before," I said, not wanting to give to much away. Will raised an eyebrow.

"You've 'met' before? How so?" He asked in an unbelieving tone.

"It's a long story," I said dismissively. Seth looked up.

"You haven't eaten anything," he said. I grinned.

"Not hungry," I said. In truth, I had already had breakfast, an apple and some coffee. I'd eat later, on the road. Horace shrugged happily.

"More for us!" He said, and Seth agreed. Will shook his head.

"You're going to eat the innkeepers out of house and home! No, I think it's time to go," Will said. I nodded my agreement, and Seth and Horace exchanged crestfallen looks.

"Let's go pack our stuff," Seth said reluctantly. On the way upstairs, Will and I talked.

"Will the Soldiers have left?" Will asked. I nodded.

"They probably left as soon as they noticed that their sentry was missing," I informed him.

"Are you quite sure they're going to Skandia?" Will asked.

"Oh, quite sure. Though what they want from the Skandians, I don't know," I said. We packed our things, then faced a problem.

"What is our prisoner going to ride?" Will asked. We were in the stables, saddling the horses.

"I thought he could ride one of the Ranger horses?" I said. Will shook his head.

"That would never work," he said. "We could borrow a horse."

"It would work better."

"Just asked the innkeeper," that was Horace. "He said we could have that one." Horace pointed to a brown horse.

"Ok. Thanks Horace," I said. I lead the brown horse out of its stall and tacked it up. We all mounted our horses, and Horace hoisted our hostage into his seat. We clip-clopped out of the town. Once outside, I leaned forward in my horses back and nudged him forward into a gallop. My laughter rang out on the wind. Will urged Tug faster, and soon we were galloping flat out across the plain in an unofficial race. We couldn't imagine the dangers and trials that lay in the days ahead. Our plan was to get Halt and Gilan home, but it would be much, much more than that. Our journey has just begun.

Authors note: on time, this time!

Mac Gustah: Don't worry, Erak will make an appearance.

TrustTheCloak: Thank you!

I'd appreciate any ideas anyone might have. I have to find a way to surprise you guys again XD


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